Christmas Eve in Our Nation's Capitol

Greetings from our nation's capitol!! I've had a wonderful holiday visiting my daughter Allison and her husband in Washington, D.C. The music has been awesome during the two times I went to the National Cathedral. The first time was the Lessons and Carols on Friday night and then yesterday morning's 11:15 service. The choir there is simply heavenly and I heard many beautiful anthems, carols and solos that I had only heard on CD's before! For me, it's the music that makes the season come to life for me and I have had a musical feast this year. One piece that stands out for me was an organ fantasia on "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella" at the national cathedral on Friday night. Please enjoy the fantastic music this holiday season!!

What does Christmas Music do to us?

For me, there is something magical about certain holiday music. Last week-end, when I was in S.C. visiting my mother for her 82nd birthday. At her retirement center, I had occasion to hear several different music boxes playing Christmas music. The one in this little video clip was particularly charming and brough back memories of childhood Christmases and dreams of Santa bringing all the toys I ever wanted.

Music does that! It literally transports you to another time and place and for a moment you are time traveling. You will notice at the end of this video that I was brought back into the present suddenly by "someone" asking me if I'm ready to go! Enjoy! BTW, in this little video you'll see the decorations that won my mother first place in the center's holiday decorating contest!

Final Luvisi-Bach Recital Tonight

Tonight was the final concert by Lee Luvisi, my piano professor of 35 years ago! He has been performing all 48 preludes and fugues from Bach's "Well-Tempered Klavier." The series took four weeks with one concert each week. These preludes and fugues are masterpieces of contrapuntal music and he played them all masterfully. The most amazing piece to me was the double fugues in G# minor that he played tonight. It was as complex as a fugue can get and has not only 5#'s but also F double #!!
Everytime I go to hear Lee play it brings back floods of memories from when he was my piano professor and all the pearls of wisdom that he taught me and that I pass along to others on a daily basis.
He's retired from U of L now but he obviously will be playing for decades to come! If you ever have a chance to hear him,don't miss it!

Lee Luvisi, my former teacher, will play tonight!

Tonight I will go to the University of Louisville School of Music to hear my former piano professor play a recital of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. I have been looking forward to this for a long time because not only is Luvisi a superb pianist, but Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the great masterpieces of the keyboard literature.
Well, I'm back now and it was simply gorgeous. Words simply cannot describe the beauty of this music and the sheer genius it represents. Luvisi is going through all 48 preludes and fugues in chromatic order over a four-week period. Tonight he played the first 8 preludes and fugues from Bk. I. The D Major Prelude and the final G Major prelude were my favorites but really each one is just gorgeous. These pieces were written for the harpsichord but many modern pianists play them on the piano and I believe that Bach would have approved! Stay tuned for next week's report!

Take Note...The Music Cure

Everybody know music makes them feel better, right? Is there anyone out there who doesn't know that? Lest there be any questions, there are more and more people publishing studies every day saying that music can heal, music can cure, music can just make you feel better and forget your troubles for a little while, right?
Well now, a new article by Barbara Reuer has come out and was published recently in "Bottom Line Secret." I thought you might enjoy seeing a little of it:
Music has been used for healing for thousands of years -- and numerous recent studies confirm its healing powers. It can reduce pain and anxiety and improve blood pressure and breathing. It even can help infants in neonatal intensive care units gain weight faster. Here’s how you can use music to improve your mental and physical health...
PAIN RELIEF
Music therapy can relieve pain and decrease the need for painkilling drugs. It seems to be most effective for short-term pain, such as during dental procedures, after surgery, etc. A study published in European Journal of Anesthesiology reported that postsurgical patients who listened to music required less morphine.
It also helps some types of chronic pain. A study published in Journal of Advanced Nursing found that listening to music for an hour a day reduced chronic pain by up to 21% and depression by up to 25%.
How it helps: People in pain can’t focus on opposing sensations simultaneously. Listening to music helps block the perception of pain signals and reduces anxiety, which can heighten pain.
Recommended: When you’re in pain, practice deep breathing while listening to a favorite piece of relaxing music. Ask your doctor to play calming background music during painful procedures. If a music therapist is available during the procedure, he/she might play music while guiding you through a visualization exercise (such as imagining a peaceful scene) or encouraging you to breathe more deeply.
HEART HELP
Music therapy is used in some coronary care units to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Music also lowers levels of stress chemicals (such as cortisol) that increase the risk for a heart attack.
Recommended: At least once a day, listen to music that you find relaxing. Pay attention to the melodies, rhythms and words... think about what the music means to you... and notice the physical signs of relaxation.
There's more but this gives you a good idea of the work that has been done in this field to document how music affects the mind and the body. Enjoy!!

The Joy of Hearing a Former Student Play

Tonight I had the distinct pleasure of hearing my former student sing and play at a venue in St. Petersburg, Florida! Lisa sang and played guitar beautifully and energetically and soulfully and I was filled with pride and admiration for all the hard work she has done and how it is now paying off for her. Lisa studied with me several decades ago at University of Kentucky, Jefferson Community College and also for a few summers at Indiana University Southeast. Soooooooooo, practice those instruments and train your voice if you want to be in a really cool band like Lisa!

Music Therapy in the Hospital

At Princess Margaret Hospital in Ontario, Canada, a program of alternative and complimentary therapies is being start. Pet therapy, massage, art therapy and movement therapy are quite popular in hospitals around the world. Considerable research has been done on these modalities, all with excellent results. The therapeutic benefits of music are also well noted. According to the Canadian Association for Music Therapy, music's nonverbal, creative and emotional qualities can facilitate a therapeutic relationship between patient and caretaker. Discussion of selected lyrics or rhythms that represent a patient's experience promotes wellness and improves communication. Certain techniques including song-writing, improvisation and song selection mirror patient thought-processes and solidify feelings about their illness. While music therapy is available in the atrium each Wednesday, the palliative care program at Princess Margaret Hospital hopes to launch music therapy this fall for individual patients on the inpatient unit.
A debilitative state of fatigue is among the most common side effects experienced by upwards of 72 per cent of all cancer patients undergoing treatment. To help patients reap the benefits of recreational activities, Princess Margaret Hospital will be meeting with recreational therapy practitioners to establish a recreational therapy program that will engage patients and compliment cancer treatment.
Therapies that address all issues felt by palliative patients along their journey are an integral part of the next generation in cancer treatment. Complementary therapy is gaining power alongside medical advancements thanks to Princess Margaret Hospital's leading example of research translating into clinical settings.

Does Bach's Music have a Regenerative Effect?

I found this posting today on another blog, "Musings of a Pertinacious Papist," and thought you might enjoy it!

There is an interesting article by Avis O. Gachet, "A Walk with the Master" (Charlotte Observer, August 8, 2007), which carries the subtitle "In times of trouble, teens turn to music. Let's hope it's Bach." Gachet, a personal friend from far back in Hickory, relates how the music of Bach -- especially his Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra (BWV 1043) -- sustained her during her dark night of the soul many years ago. She says that Bachs music had a healing and regenerative effect on her, not only elevating her spirits, but sorting out her priorities and consoling her soul. "I am talking about something alsmost mystical," she says. She then contrasts the music of Bach with the genres popular with the younger generation today, worrying that they lack the guiding capacities of the old Master, of whom she says: "He did not lead me astray." In light of Plato's reflections on the power of music in the Republic, I cannot help wondering whether Gachet has hit upon something profound. One thing is certain to me, and that is the truth that good music is more than what one happens to like. What makes music good or bad lies significantly in the objective properties of the music itself.

What about "Good Vibrations"?

from http://www.thatsfit.com/2007/08/10/the-daily-turn-on-good-vibrations/
Did you know ... We are emotionally, physically and spiritually impacted by what we hear? Every molecule in the universe (ourselves included) is in a constant state of vibration. Every single organ, tissue and bone in our body is constantly communicating through vibration. When our bodies are vibrating harmoniously with one another, we are in a state of health. A disconnect within our vibrations is indicative of disease. We can actually utilize our sense of sound to create harmonious vibrations within the body by projecting the correct resonant frequency of the particular body part that is out of balance. Music can play a key factor in healing through sound, as it has a direct influence on the limbic system, which is the area of the brain that governs emotions.

Meditations that incorporate mantras and specific sounds, such as om or aum, utilize self-created sounds to enhance spiritual and emotional well being. Vowel sounds and harmonics seem to be especially effective on the limbic system for healing. Next time your friend says she will send you some good vibes -- listen up! You just may feel better.

Try it out ... Next time you feel stressed out (even if you are at work) go to a quiet place, close your eyes and listen to soothing music -- I recommend Mozart. Or, even better, close your eyes and softly hum the om mantra. As awkward as you may feel at first, you will almost instantly feel better!How did it work? Tell us about your experience. What music or sounds help you to relax. What are your favorite meditations? Is there advice you can offer based on your own experience with sound therapy?

How strong is YOUR mind-body connection?

Do you know how powerfully your mind and body is connected? And it's not as though you can do anything about it. Our minds and our bodies are inseparably connected and the more we recognize that fact and acknowledge it's truth the more we can begin to be healthier!
One aspect of this is that the music we listen to affects how we react to life. This can be good and bad. If a young person listens to violent "gangsta Rap" that talks about "killing a cop" and if he has a violent home life with little if any supportive parenting, there is a good chance that he will respond to this music by committing a violent act. Studies have been done documenting this.
On the other hand, if we listen to melodious, uplifting music, whether it has lyrics or not, our bodies release serotonin and endorphins and we are flooded with feelings of peacefulness and well-being. Which will you choose?

Another visit with a former professor!

I'm not sure what's going on, but recently I've had the pleasure of spending some time with several different former professors from the University of Louisville School of Music. Today I had Richard and Cecile Spalding in my home for lunch and it was so good to see them again! Professor Spalding directed the U of L chorus when I was there in the late 60's, early 70's and I distinctly remember performing Poulenc's Gloria for Chorus and Two Pianos my senior year in college. Of course I was playing one of those two pianos! It was so much fun and such a beautiful piece of music!

While he was here, we also watched the video documentary that was created from my Ph.D. dissertation about "Wanda Landowska and the Revival of the Harpsichord: A Reassessment." The name of the documentary is "Uncommon Visionary" and won awards at the Boston Early Music Festival when it first came out. You can buy it on my website if you're interested! Enjoy!

Hey, hey, hey...it's my birthday!

Hey, hey, hey! It's my birthday! I've had an awesome day with cake, ice cream, phone calls, cards and ecards from all over the planet. I've had a fabulous breakfast, lunch and dinner and had loads of people buy my birthday special. What more could a girl want? Well, assuming that a complete face lift is not an option, I would love to introduce 10 new people each day to the concepts of healing music. If people would just take a moment to read all of the research and documentation not to mention examine their own reactions to music, they would know that music is powerful and can quickly change mood and emotions. When mood and emotion and changed from negative to positive, amazing things happen: the immune system improves, the biorhythms stabilize and people begin to see and feel a ray of hope.

If you don't have this basic information, you music order this special deal from me to you...immediately! You won't regret it!

Keep your brain singing!

Alice

Please check out my Birthday Package for you!

Are the mind and body connected?

For hundreds of years people thought that the mind was above the neck and the body was below the neck. Today, thanks to the exciting field of quantum physics and other writers with great insights into whole mind-body healing field, we know that the mind and the body are actually in every cell of the body. Our cells store memories of every event, thought and feeling that we have had since birth. Exciting? I think so.

How does music fit into this picture? Music affects the memories and thoughts in our minds and affects neurohormone release in our brains and adrenaline from our pancreas. Our muscles relax when we hear soothing music and our heart-beat and breathing begin to get regular and steady when we listen to music with a regular and steady beat.

Amazing? I think so. If you want to know more, check out my website, my other blogs, and my products. Better yet, invite me to speak in your city to your conference, convention, or favorite organization!

The Power of Music and the Mind-Body

Why is music so powerful for healing? Well, there are lots of reasons. One of the biggies is the power of memories that music can instantaneously recall. How many times have you been riding in your car or just listening to the radio "mindlessly" and suddenly a song from the past or a piece of music of any kind fro the past comes on? You are flooded with images, thoughts and yes, feelings that were long ago associated with this piece of music. Now because I am a professional musician I have a pretty big reservoir of past music to associate. There are pop tunes from my "courting years" as well as symphonies, operas, piano sonatas and lots more that just send me, like a time machine, to different periods of my life. Do I like this??? Yes! I love it. It's a way to have an ongoing photo album/movie/soundtrack from my entire life and I enjoy it a lot! How about you??

St. Patrick's Day Super Special

Top o' the mornin' to ya! Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and I'm thinking green today. I don't know about you, but I love my Irish name of "Cash" and even though it is my married name, I gladly claim a strong Irish/English/Scottish heritage. The folk music of these countries melts my heart and alternately makes my spirits dance in an almost magical way! There is quite a bit of research suggesting that the part of the world our ancestor's are from, has some powerful influence on the type of music we respond to.

To celebrate St. Paddys Day, I want to offer all of my readers, clients and patients a super special St. Paddy's Sale. Follow this link for a special offer:

http://www.healingmusicenterprises.com/listmailings/StPatricksDay.htm

What does Irish Music do for you?

When I used to play the piano on an Alzheimer's unit, as part of my research study on "The Therapeutic Effects of Music on Alzheimer's Patients," one thing I vividly remember is that all the patients seemed to love the old Irish songs, "Too-ra loo-ra loo-ra," "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," "I'll Take Yo Home Again Kathleen" and "It's a long, long way to Tipperrary." Somehow they all seemed to know these songs and sang them with great verve and gusto. Why is this? No one knows for sure, but it would seem that when music is associated with a positive life experience or time period in one's life, certain pairings happen in the brain so that whenever that music played, memories of great pleasure or just the release of pleasure hormones, like endorphins or dopamine surge through the brain. It's a pretty wonderful phenomenon and Irish music in our society does it for a lot of people.

What happens when you hear a love song?

I used to have an old boyfriend who would sing me the song "I'm in the Mood for Love" but he would change he words to "I'm in the Nude for Love." I was about 18 and I always thought it was hilarious. Little did I know that, especially at that age, just hearing the word "nude" combined with that melody and a funny little expression, affected my body and my feelings powerfully! Why? Because music, words, facial expressions and the vibrations of intent translate immediately to the body. Neuro-hormones are realized and it all happens in a split-second. That's why people write long songs and love poems. There are funny love songs like "Love Potion Number Nine" and "Witch Doctor." There are poignant love songs like "Somewhere My Love" (from Dr. Zhivago) and "Some Enchanted Evening" (from South Pacific). There are tantalizingly sensuous pieces of music such as "Bolero" by Ravel or "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy. And then there are pieces of music that have nothing intrinsically sensual about them, but perhaps we first heard these pieces while getting to know someone we later fell in love with. That piece is forever imprinted with feelings of love and physicality. The mind and the body are fascinating entities and I suppose we'll never understand them fully, but they are definitely intertwined in a most inseparable way. Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

The More the Merrier

Yesterday I spoke to huge room-full of people at a beautiful location here in Louisville, KY. The topic was "Music and Stress-Management: Tools You Can Use." I only had about 25 minutes so I was trying to cover quite a bit of material, but as always, hands in the audience started shooting up with people wanting to share their own personal stories of music and healing. I must have had a dozen fabulous stories from men and women about how music had gotten them through hard times, and had entertained them as children when the family couldn't afford a radio or a TV. That's the wonderful things about music...it's free!! All you have to do it open your mouth and sing the first thing that pops into your head or make yourself a little drum with an upside-down trashcan or an oatmeal box. You can even jangle your car keys as you do a tango in your living room or bedroom! Having all those people there yesterday was a real stress-reliever for me because I had been up pretty much all night the night before with a stomach bug. When I left there, I felt great!! Try it!

What does movie music do for you??

As I sit here watching the Golden Globe Awards, I can't help but think of all the fabulous music that I have heard when at the movies. You've heard me say before that the Hollywood composers are masters of touching emotions with music (and the silent movie pianists before them) and whenever emotions are powerfully touched, the memory is etched and inseparably connected to the music and the emotion. Some of my favorites from childhood (I'm not ashamed to admit) are the Disney tunes like "When You Wish Upon a Star" or "Chim-Chiminee." In my teen years I loved "April Love" and "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago. I'll always love the theme from "Exodus" and "Bridge on the River Kwai." You get the point, I'm sure. Music affects the mind and the body in as powerful a way as anything I can imagine. I'd love to know your thoughts on this?

Music's Effect on Mind and Body

What does music do to the body and mind? What happens in your body when you hear music that you love? Do you feel energy, calm, great joy and happiness, sadness and grief, anger, love? Well, of course, it depends upon the music you're hearing but all of the feelings can easily be elicited by music. How does this happen? It's all about brain chemistry and the process of entrainment. The brain responds instantaneously to pain, pleasure and emotion of all kind. Different neurochemicals are released into the brain and the body responds. Most of us know exactly what music to reach for to get the response we're looking for.
Putting drugs into your system can do many of the same things but why risk addiction, dependence, and even prison! Reach for your favorite music instead! Questions? Drop me a line!